The Southern Football League today confirmed that they have agreed a plan with FA for the 2020/21 league season to recommence from Saturday 19th September 2020. The full statement from the FA can be viewed here.
2019/20 didn’t end as we wanted, we were in a fantastic position before the season was brought to a premature end and as a club were looking forward to seeing how the season played out. It’s now been 134 days since the Generals were last in action and will have been nearly 200 days by September when we restart.
We appreciate supporters will want to know when they can return to the Meadow for pre-season friendlies to see the Generals in action, however, we are still awaiting further information from the governing bodies on supporter attendance for these but the FA understand the concerns of clubs about playing behind closed doors and we will keep you updated throughout as the guidance changes.
Peter Brown, Chairman has said, “The FA have recommended a phased return to competitive football, with no fixtures taking place before the end of July. During this time the squad will be returning to competitive training as we get ready for the new season. Then from August 1st, we hope to be able to play pre-season friendlies to get the squad in the best position for the 2020/21 season. On the non-playing side, our preparations are well under way to ensure that the Meadow is a safe and secure environment for the new season for our players, supporters and volunteers.”
More information on pre-season friendlies will be made available as games are confirmed but we hope to have an exciting pre-season programme for the supporters after such a lengthy lay off. If you can’t wait until August to get back to the Meadow, the Chess Suite is open every Saturday between noon and 6pm for you to enjoy a beer and catch up with fellow supporters.
We look forward to welcoming you back to the Meadow and starting the 2020/21 season.
